EYES IN SPACE – LiDAR ENABLED BY EXCELITAS - The Force is strong… at Eurosatory

NASA will launch another space mission: GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation – pronounced Jedi). It is designed for high-resolution laser ranging of the Earth’s forests and topography on the International Space Station (ISS) and is expected to produce about 15 billion cloud-free observations during its nominal 24-month mission length.

The GEDI instrument is a geodetic-class, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser system comprised of three lasers that produce 10 parallel tracks of observations. It delivers 3D surface measurement data, which enable us to better understand how the Earth behaves as a system and guides the actions we can take to sustain critical resources. It addresses key challenges in a variety of scientific areas, including forest management and carbon cycling, water resources, weather prediction and topography and  surface deformation.For this mission, Excelitas Canada provided several hybrid receivers using the very best avalanche photodiodes. This will enable scientists to quantify the changes in vegetation density from the International Space Station by measuring the waveform of the light signal after it travels approximately 400 km through the atmosphere! The group had the chance to meet with the NASA team from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to review this space mission.

Excelitas are also known in the Space sector for their solar cell coverless and OSRs (Optical Solar Reflectors) along with Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS).

Coverglass is designed to protect the photovoltaic solar cells of satellites from the harsh environment of space. It is manufactured from ultra-thin ribbons of glass produced in North Wales (UK). One of the only facilities in the world producing this type of glass specifically for the space industry, supplying almost 90% of the worlds’ satellites”

OSRs are used for the thermal control of spacecraft on the sun-facing sides of satellites to reflect incoming solar radiation while simultaneously radiating internally-generated heat. OSRs are used in most major satellite programs for both civilian and military applications in Europe, USA and Japan.

RAFS technology was developed specifically for mission critical GPS space applications. With world class stability and low drift combined with the small size, low weight, and power advantages, the Excelitas RAFS is recognized as an enabling technology for global positioning, navigation and timing systems onboard satellites.